Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

By HARDISH TRIVEDI

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 1

 GTAW
• Fusion Welding Process
• Arc Between Non-Consumable Tungsten
Rod And Work
• Arc & Weld Pool Shielded By Argon
• Filler Wire Separately Added To Weld Pool
• Welding Torch & Tungsten Rod Cooled by
Flow OF Argon / Cooling Water
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 2
 Shielding Gas
• Inert Gas - Argon , Helium
• Common Shielding Gas – Argon
• When Helium Is Used – Called “Heli – Arc” Welding
• When Argon Is Used – Called “Argon Arc” Welding
• Inert Gas Prevents Contamination Of Molten Metal
• It Prevents Oxidation Of Tungsten Rod
• It Ionizes Air Gap and Stabilizes Arc
• It Cools Welding Torch & Tungsten Rod

PRESENT BY:HARDISH 3
TRIVEDI
 Equipment & Accessories
Pressure Regulator
Flow Meter

Tungsten Rod
Argon Gas In
Cooling Water In Solenoid
Collet Valve Argon Cylinder

Gas Lens
HF Unit &
Welding Cable & Cooling Water Cooling
Ceramic Cup Water In Tube System
Cooling Water Out
Argon Shielding
Arc
High Frequency
+ Connection
Work

Pedal Switch Power Source

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI
– + 4
 GTAW Equipment &
Accessories
• Power Source – Inverter, Thyrester,Rectifier, Generator
• High Frequency Unit
• Water Cooling System
• Welding Torch- (Ceramic Cup, Tungsten Rod, Collet,
Gas-lens)
• Pedal Switch
• Argon Gas Cylinder
• Pressure Gauge, Regulator, Flow Meter
• Earthing Cable With Clamp

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 5

 Types Of GTAW Power Source
• Inverter- DC

• Thyrester – DC

• Motor Generator – DC

• Rectifier – DC

• Transformer – AC (For Aluminium Welding Only)

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 6

 Power Source
• Provides Electric Energy – Arc – Heat

• Drooping Characteristic

• OCV – Appx. 80V,

• Current Range 40 A to 300 A ( Capacity Of M/s)

• Arc Voltage 18V to 26V

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 7

Characteristic Of GTAW
Power Source
Drooping – Constant Current

V
V1
Vertical
V2
Curve

A
A1 A2
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 8
 High Frequency Unit
• Provides High Voltage Electric Energy With Very
high Frequency – 10000 Cycles / Sec.

• Initiates low energy Arc / Spark & Ionize Air Gap.

• Electrically charges Air Gap For welding Current

to Jump Across the Tungsten Tip & BM to Form
An Arc.

• HF Gets Cut Off, Once Welding Arc Struck.

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 9

 Water Cooling System

• Provides Cooling Water To Welding Torch.

• Cools Tungsten Rod, Torch handle & Welding

Cable.

• Cooling Water Returns through Flexible Tube

Which Carries welding cable within.

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 10

 GTAW TORCH

Cap with collet For Torch Handle Cooling Water Outlet

Holding Tungsten
Argon Gas Inlet

Cooling Water Inlet Tube with cable

Ceramic Cup

Tungsten Rod Argon Shielding Gas

Base Metal

Earthing Cable Arc

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 11

 Pedal Switch
Sequence

When M/c On
• Power source gets energized
• Pump starts pumping cooling water to torch
When Pedal Switch Pressed with tungsten rod held close to BM within 3mm
• Solenoid valve opens, Argon starts flowing
• After 5 seconds of pre-purging, high Frequency current jumps from tungsten
rod generating sparks
• Immediately welding current makes arc across tungsten rod and work
through the HF sparks.
• High frequency gets cut off from the system when welding arc is initiated and
welding is started.
When Pedal Released without lifting the torch
1 Current gets cut off, Arc extinguishes, Gas flow continues as post purging.
2 Gas flow remains for few more seconds before it stops.
3 Torch to be lifted only after post purging stops
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 12
Argon Gas Cylinder- Pressure
Regulator + Flow Meter

• Cylinder Stores Argon

Cylinder Valve At High Pressure
Pressure gauges

• Regulator Regulates
Flow Meter
Cylinder Pressure to
Flow Regulator Working Pressure
Pressure Regulator
Connection To Torch • Flow Meter Controls
Flow Rate
Argon Cylinder
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 13
 Shielding Gas
• Argon - Purity 99.99%

• Impure Argon Results In Porosities

• Purity Verified by Fusing BQ CS plate

• Leakage of Argon in Torch Results in

Porosity.

• Check Leakage by Closing the Ceramic

Cup With Thumb
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 14
 Argon Gas Cylinder
• Light Blue In Colour

• Full Cylinder Pressure: 1800 psi ( 135 Kgs / Cm2 )

• Volume Of Argon In Full Cylinder: 7.3 M3

• Commercial Argon (99.99%) Cost: Rs 90/- Per M3

• High Purity Argon (99.999) Cost: Rs 110/- Per M3

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 15
 Back Purging
Purging Gas Commercial • Applicable to Single
Argon or Nitrogen Sided full penetration
• Prevents oxidation of
Filler Wire Welding Torch root pass from
opposite side of weld
• Essential for high
alloy steels,
Purging Purging Gas In nonferrous metals
Gas Out and alloys
Purging Root Pass
• Desirable For All
chamber
Material
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 16
Tools For GTAW

• Head Screen

• Hand gloves

• Chipping Hammer

• Wire Brush

• Spanner Set

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 17

 Tungsten Rod
Tungsten Rod
• Non Consumable Electrode.

• Maintains Stable Arc

• Tip to be Ground to a cone Shape of 60º

to 30º angle

• Thoriated Tungsten for General

Application, Zerconiated Tungsten for Ground to
Aluminium Welding 50º ankle

• Sizes :- 2, 2.4 & 3 mm Ø

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 18
 Pulsed GTAW
• Power Source Provides Two different Current
Levels“Background” and “Peak”at regular
interval
• “Background” & “Peak” are above and below
the Average Current
• Best Suitable for Full Penetration Open Root
Pass Welding
• Ideal for Root Pass by Automatic Machine
Welding

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 19

 Filler Wire

• Added Separately to the weld pool.

• Compatible to base metal

• Used in cut length for manual welding.

• Used from layer wound spool for

automatic welding.

• Sizes :- 0.8, 1, 1.2, 1.6, 2, 2.4 & 3 mm

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 20

ASME Classification Of Filler Wire
SS Filler Wire:
SFA-5.9, ER 308, 308L, 316, 316L, 347, 309
LAS Filler Wire:
SFA 5.28, ER 70S A1, ER 80S B2, ER90S D2,
ER 80S Ni2
CS Filler Wire:
SFA- 5.18 , ER 70S2
C = 0.07%, Mn = 0.9% – 1.4%, Si = 0.4 – 0.7%, P = 0.025%, S = 0.035%

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 21

 Dos & Don'ts In GTAW
Dos Don’ts
• Always Connect • Don’t Strike Arc With
Electrode – Ve Electrode + Ve
• Keep Always Flow • Don’t strike Arc Without
Meter Vertical Argon Flow
• Check & Confirm • Don’t Strike Arc By
Argon Purity touching Tungsten Rod
• Clean Groove & Filler • Don’t Touch Weld Pool
wire With Acetone With Tungsten Rod
• Grind Tungsten Tip to • Don’t Lift and break Arc
Point
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 22
 Dos & Don'ts In GTAW
Dos
• Break The Arc Only By
Pedal Switch
• Lift The Torch only After
5 Sec Of Arc Break.
• Ensure Pre Purging &
Post Purging of 5Sec
• Ensure Argon Flow &
Water Circulation To
Torch
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI
Don’ts
• When Arc is Stopped
Don’t Lift Torch
immediately.
• Don’t Weld With Blunt
Tungsten Rod
• Don’t Weld With Argon
Leaking Torch
• Don’t Weld Without
Water Circulation
23
 Dos & Don'ts In GTAW
Dos Don’ts
• Provide Back Purging • Don’t Weld Single Sided Full
For Single Sided Full Penetration Welds Without
Penetration Welds Back Purging
• Don’t Use N2 As Back
• Use N2 or Argon as
Purging Gas For Non
Back Purging Gas For Ferrous Alloys
CS & LAS • Don’t Empty Ag Cylinders
• Use Argon As Back Fully.
Purging Gas For SS &
Non Ferrous Alloys

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 24

 Defects In GTAW
1. Cracks 2. Lack Of Fusion
3. Porosity 4. Undercut
5.Lack Of Penetration 6. Excess Penetration

7.Overlap 8. Suck Back

9. Under Flush 10. Burn Through
11. Tungsten Inclusion 11.Stray Arcing

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 25

 Crack
Cause Remedy
1) Wrong Consumable 1) Use Right Filler Wire
2) Wrong Procedure 2) Qualify Procedure
3) Improper Preheat 3) Preheat Uniformly
4) Inadequate Thickness 4) Add More Filler Wire
In Root Pass in root Pass

crack

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 26

 Lack Of Fusion
Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate Current 1) Use Right Current
2) Wrong Torch angle 2) Train /Qualify welder
3) Improper bead placement 3) Train/Qualify Welder

Lack Of Fusion

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 27

 Porosity
Cause
1) Impure Argon Gas
2) Argon Leak Within Torch
3) Defective Filler Wire
4) Wet surface of BM
5) Rusted / Pitted Filler wire
6) Improper Flow Of Argon
Porosity . .
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI
Remedy
1) Replace Argon Cylinder
2) Replace Leaking Torch
3) Replace Filler Wire
4) Clean & Warm BM
5) Clean Filler Wire
6) Provide Gas lens
28
 Undercut

Cause Remedy
1) Excess Current 1) Reduce the Current
2) Excess Voltage 2) Reduce Arc length
3) Improper Torch angle 3) Train & Qualify the Welder

Under cut

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 29

 Lack Of Penetration*
Cause
1) Excess Root Face
2) Inadequate Root opening
3) Over size Filler Wire
4) Wrong Direction of Arc
5) Improper bead placement
6) Improper weaving technique
* Applicable to SSFPW
LOP
PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI
Remedy
1) Reduce Root Face
2) Increase Root Opening
3) Reduce Filler Wire size
4) Train / Qualify Welder
5) Train / Qualify Welder
6) Train & Qualify Welder
30
 Excess Penetration*
Cause Remedy
1)Excess root opening 1) Reduce root gap
2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Inadequate root face 3) Increase Root face
4) Excess Weaving 4) Train Welder
5) Wrong Direction Of Arc 5) Train Welder

* Applicable to SSFPW

Excess PenetrationPRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 31

 Overlap
Cause
1) Wrong Direction Of Arc
2) Inadequate Current
3) Excess Filler Wire
Remedy
1) Train & Qualify Welder
2) Increase Current
3) Reduce Filler Metal

Overlap

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 32

 Suck Back*
Cause Remedy

1) Excess weaving in root 1) Reduce weaving

2) Excess Current 2) Reduce Current
3) Inadequate root face 3) Increase root face
4) Wrong Electrode angle 4) Train / Qualify Welder
* Applicable to SSFPW in 4G, 3G & 2G

Suck Back PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 33

 Under flush
Cause Remedy
1) Inadequate weld beads in 1) Weld some more beads
final layer in final layer
2) Inadequate understanding on 2) Train / Qualify welder
weld reinforcement
3) Wrong selection of filler wire 3) Train / Qualify Welder
size

Under flush

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 34

 Burn through*
Cause
1) Excess Current
2) Excess Root opening
3) Inadequate Root face
4) Improper weaving
Remedy
1) Reduce the Current
2) Reduce root opening
3) Increase root face
4) Train / Qualify Welder

*Applicable to root pass

Burn trough

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 35

 Tungsten Inclusion
Cause Remedy
1) Ineffective HF 1) Rectify HF Unit
2) Improper Starting of Arc 2) Never Touch Weld
With Tungsten Rod
3) Tungsten Tip Comes in 3) Train / Qualify welder
Contact With Weld

Tungsten Inclusion

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 36

 Stray Arcing
Cause Remedy
1) HF Not In Operation 1) Rectify HF Unit
2) Inadequate Skill of Welder 2) Train the Welder

Arc Strikes

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 37

 Thanks

PRESENT BY:HARDISH TRIVEDI 38